The American Rescue Plan Act has made funds available to states and districts to speed up recovery from the effects of COVID-19, including addressing learning loss. The Wallace Foundation has distilled evidence from its work that may be helpful in informing choices about how to spend those funds, as well as how to implement key strategies.

Principals will play a key role in schools’ recovery from the pandemic. This document on the role of principal leadership in school recovery and reopening points to key evidence and lessons on how the quality of the principalship can significantly impact student learning, teacher retention and satisfaction, and equity.

Key strategies suggested for districts in their reopening and recovery include:

• Providing professional development and other supports for principals, which can increase their effectiveness in the short term
  
• Building a comprehensive, aligned pipeline for new and aspiring principals to improve student achievement and schools district-wide
  

The document includes an annotated bibliography with more research and tools for further reading on how to implement these strategies. ​